Brock Denbo played in 20 career games for the Hornets last year. The speedy shortstop already had 5 stolen bases when the season was canceled due to the pandemic.

“I definitely took playing baseball for granted before… it was just hard to not be able to do what I love every day,” Denbo said.

During his high school career, Brock was a standout for the baseball team. One of his favorite baseball memories was playing at Angels stadium during his junior year and being part of a no-hitter.

After coming to Fullerton, Denbo was part of a young team where only five sophomores were seeing any significant playing time. This playing time was beneficial in getting Brock and other freshmen some valuable experience.

Then came the pandemic. The season was canceled, and players and coaches were not allowed to have in-person contact.

Denbo’s parents had a gym in their home which allowed him to stay in shape during the time away from the team.

He was also able to train with a former high school teammate and take part in weekly zoom meetings and practices with teammates and coaches.

Staying connected with his teammates and coaches was an important while away. “The team had many zoom meetings while we were apart so everyone got to know each other and keep in touch,” Denbo said.

When asked what players he was excited about for this season, head coach Chad Baum singled out a few players including Brock Denbo.

“I am very excited to see all the improvements the players have been sharing with coaches. If I had to pick a few that could have monster years, [one of them] would be Brock Denbo,” Baum commented.

Denbo is also excited to show off his improvements.

“I’m most excited about getting to play some games and competing. It looks like we have a really good team this year and can compete with the best in the conference,” Denbo said.

This season Brock’s goal is to hit for an average of .300 and to be one of the best shortstops in the conference.

With his speed, base-running and an outstanding career fielding percentage of .946, Brock certainly is poised to break out this season and potentially be one of the best players in the conference.

The past year was a challenge for everyone and also gave a new perspective. Baseball has always been a metaphor for life and even during a pandemic, it is no different.

“In the game of baseball there are a lot of opportunities to fail, but to me I also see this as an opportunity to learn, work, grow and benefit from every situation. Sure, the success is sweet but the failures, the disappointments drive me to do better,” Denbo added.

As for future plans beyond Fullerton College, Brock plans on playing Division 1 baseball and furthering his education at a four-year university.